Something To Believe In
by tamilnadu09
Summary: Because they wouldn't be "Dan and Blair" without the whole world standing in their way...Takes place after 4x17!
1. One Kiss

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gossip Girl or any of its characters.

**A/N: **I never thought I'd write a GG fic, but Dair has definitely got me more into GG than I've been in a long time! And I obviously can't wait till April 18th to see what happens next...

* * *

"I kissed someone. It was truly a life changing experience. That one kiss…changed me."  
**-_Blair: Promo 4x18_**

* * *

They were still kissing.

Blair's mind had quite simply shut down.

_Why were they still kissing_?

Just as soon as this thought ran through her mind, she distinctly heard the sound of the elevator doors slamming shut on the first floor.

Someone was coming up.

With a gasp, she pushed Dan away, belatedly realizing that she had been clutching him towards her. He looked nothing short of stunned, "Blair..."

"Not a word, Humphrey!" Blair said in as a controlled voice as she could muster, "One kiss."

Dan took a step back, and Blair immediately felt the lack of warmth on her shoulder and her waist from where he had been holding her. "And that's that," he finished, turning to look at the elevator doors as they opened.

"Dan?" Serena looked confused as she stepped into the hallway, "What are you doing here?" Before he could answer, she sought out Blair, "Oh thank god, you're here!"

"Why, what's—" Blair let the question go unfinished as Chuck stumbled out of the elevator behind Serena, "Oh."

"Blair…thank goodness you're here," he slurred, beginning to walk towards her. Unfortunately, his gaze landed on Dan and he paused, disdain covering his features. "Humphrey, what are_ you_ doing here? You should—should really…get back to _Brooklyn_."

Dan stiffened slightly, but didn't comment. "I was just leaving," he said instead, not looking in Blair's direction. "I'll just…"

"Wait," Serena touched his arm, still confused, "What were you doing here this late at night?"

"I was—"

"Looking for you, of course!" Blair cut across the room loudly, "We all heard what happened to your mom on Gossip Girl. I'm so sorry, S."

"You came all the way here to see if I was okay?" Serena wrapped her arms around Dan, burying her face into his chest. "You're such a good friend."

Blair watched the scene unfold in front of her through narrowed eyes, but then Chuck suddenly grabbed both of her shoulders. "Blair, you're the only one who'll understand," he insisted, blocking her view of Dan and Serena. "I knew I had to find you..."

With a sigh, Blair focused her attention on Chuck instead. "What happened? You were fine at the party earlier..."

"My dad," Chuck muttered, his lip curling in distaste, "He lied to me..._lied to me, _Blair!"

"You're not making any sense," Blair frowned, "What are you talking about? Who told you he lied to you?"

"Russell Thorpe..." Chuck staggered off to the side suddenly and grabbed the nearest vase of flowers. "MY DAD LIED TO ME TILL THE DAY HE DIED!" he shouted, flinging the vase across the room.

It landed with an earth-shattering crash on the hard floor, and Blair leapt backwards—right into Dan, who was suddenly at her shoulder, looking at Chuck with concern. "What's wrong with him?"

"You know, this is really something that Blair can handle," Serena said, from where she was standing by the elevator. "Us being here will only make things worse. All he would tell me the entire way here was that he had to find Blair, and now he's found her...everything should be okay. We should leave, Dan."

Dan glanced at Serena, but then looked back at Blair. "Will you be alright?" he asked in a low voice, watching Chuck warily.

"I can handle it," Blair said, trying not to notice the intensity in Dan's gaze. "Really, you should leave."

A flash of some emotion crossed Dan's expression, but it was gone before she could identify it. "Fine...I guess I'll take off then."

Blair nodded goodbye to him, but frowned when Serena waved goodbye to _her_. "Wait! Where are you going?"

"I really think you two need to be alone," Serena whispered, gesturing to her and Chuck. "I'll just crash at Dan's place for the night."

Dan froze, and Blair folded her hands tightly in front of her in an effort to remain calm. "Oh, you mean with Ben?"

"Actually, Ben left town," Serena smiled at Dan, "So I guess you have the loft back to yourself."

"Oh—that's, uh, great..." Dan said, looking uncomfortable. He glanced at Blair, who was now definitely panicking.

"Wow, you're trying a long distance relationship, S? That's new for you..."

"No, we broke up," Serena admitted, "I don't think he'll be coming back any time soon."

"Oh, I see..."

The elevator doors opened, and Serena walked in without a second thought. "Come on Dan, let's get out of here."

Dan paused at the doors, turning to look at Blair. He opened his mouth to say something, but then Chuck finally stood back up and walked back over—effectively standing in between Dan and Blair. Before she could say anything else, she heard the elevator doors close.

And Dan was gone.

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***let me know what you think so far :) **


	2. Morning After

**A/N: **Wow, thank you SO much for all your wonderful reviews! and especially thanks to those who said it was realistic as to what could happen in 4x18 :)

* * *

_"Just to clarify, I do think you deserve to be with someone who makes you happy..."  
_**-Dan, to Blair: 3x18**

* * *

When Dan woke up the next morning, he didn't immediately open his eyes. Instead, he relaxed in the familiarity of Blair curled up next to him, her head resting on his shoulder. It was easier this way, just the two of them...no Chuck, no Serena, no Upper East Side taboos getting in the way...

As Dan settled into a blissful subconscious state, Blair suddenly shifted slightly next to him. Dan opened his eyes to see if she was awake, and nearly had a heart attack.

He blinked twice to make sure he wasn't hallucinating—but the scene in front of him didn't change, and he was forced to come to the conclusion that he _wasn't _sitting on the sofa with Blair after spending all night watching a movie together. He was, in fact, lying in his own bed—and Serena was curled up next to him. Her arm was thrown carelessly across his chest, and she was nestled into the crook of his shoulder, her blonde hair spilling over her face.

_This wasn't good._

Trying to keep as quiet as possible, Dan gently removed himself from her grip and padded silently out of the room. He immediately walked over to Ben's room to check if Ben had come back, or if there was some other reason Serena had left the guest room in the middle of night and settled herself into Dan's bed. However, when Dan peered into the room, he could see nothing wrong with it; Ben's belongings were all gone, and the bed looked like it hadn't even been slept in.

Muttering to himself, Dan quickly showered and dressed, with every intention of getting to school before Serena woke up. Twenty minutes later, he was making himself a pot of coffee when his phone beeped, signaling a text message.

**FROM: DAD  
Need to discuss Lily's trial.  
On my way to the loft.**

Dan was just contemplating if he should wake up Serena before his dad arrived, when there was a knock at the door. He hurriedly walked over and pulled open the door, "Dad, before you come in, you should—" Dan broke off in shock, "_Blair?_"

"Good morning, Humphrey," Blair chirped as she brushed past him, her gaze flicking around the room, "Where's Serena?"

Dan was still standing by the door, completely bewildered. "What are you doing in _Brooklyn_?"

"I told you," Blair began walking towards the guest room, "I thought I would pick up Serena before school...Is she still sleeping?"

"Blair, wait—"

Blair pushed open the door to the guest room, pausing on the threshold when she saw that no one was in there. "Oh," she said, stepping back, "I see."

"Okay, before you get any ideas—"

"B?" Serena chose that moment to emerge from his room sleepily, running her fingers through her tousled hair. She stared blearily at Blair, looking confused, "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you might like some company to school," Blair said brightly, "But I see you're...otherwise occupied, so I'll just get out of your way—"

"No," Dan and Serena said unison, though for different reasons. "You came all this way," Serena cajoled, "Let me just take a quick shower, and I'll be ready in like ten minutes, okay?"

"S, it's really not necessary. Clearly, I should have called first..."

"No, I'm not letting you leave," Serena said firmly. "I promise I'll be ready, just take a seat...Dan doesn't mind, do you?" she called over her shoulder before disappearing into the bathroom without waiting for an answer.

Blair and Dan were left staring at each other from opposite sides of the room. "_Well_," Blair began with a fake smile, "You certainly don't waste any time, do you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, don't act all _innocent..._You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

Dan moved behind the counter, shaking his head. "I really don't. Coffee?"

"I mean, Ben has only been gone for like _five minutes_ and you're already going after S," Blair continued, ignoring him completely. "I'm impressed, Humphrey. I didn't think you had it in you!"

Dan spoke slowly, enunciating each word to make sure she understood; "I _told_ you. Nothing happened last night between me and Serena."

"Oh please!" Blair hissed, "She was wearing the signature Humphrey plaid!"

"She had no other clothes!" Dan snapped back, "And I don't even see why I have to explain myself to you—I don't see you volunteering any information about what happened with you and Chuck last night!"

"For your information, Chuck passed out on the sofa!" Blair was now standing on the other side of the counter, leaning in towards Dan angrily, "And _I _was in my room _by myself_, UNLIKE certain other people—"

"NOTHING HAPPENED!" Dan exclaimed, but Blair had grabbed her purse and was already moving towards the door.

"Tell Serena I'll be waiting downstairs," she called over her shoulder as she pulled the door open and hurried down the stairs and out of sight.

"Blair..." Dan groaned when he saw his dad waiting at the door, his hand poised to knock.

"Was that just _Blair Waldorf _I saw leaving?" Rufus asked with a frown, entering the loft suspiciously. "What was she doing here?"

"Uh, she was here to pick up Serena..." Dan trailed off when Rufus heaved an obvious sigh of relief, "What?"

"Thank goodness!" Rufus said with a chuckle, clapping Dan on the shoulder. "For a second there, I was afraid that Blair had spent the night! I mean, can you imagine?" He gave another hearty laugh, "And especially after that talk we had the other day about that girl you had been spending time with...well, you can imagine what I was thinking!"

Dan tried to laugh, but found that he couldn't.

At that moment, his cell phone beeped again. He walked back over to the kitchen counter and froze when he saw a picture of himself.

_"Good morning Upper East Siders!  
The air outside might be chilly,  
but sources tell me that  
**sparks **are flying for Lonely Boy...  
and no, I don't mean Georgina Sparks."  
**XOXO, Gossip Girl.**_


	3. Denial

_"Say life is giving you signs, and you're ignoring them because you're afraid of the thing they're signaling you to do._  
_ But then you think, what if these signs are here for a reason and ignoring them just makes me a coward?"  
**-Dan, to Blair: 3x22 **_

* * *

Dan was walking towards the Van der Woodsen residence after classes had ended, when he heard someone calling his name. He turned around to see Nate jogging behind him, with Raina not far behind.

Nate paused, leaning forward to catch his breath before clapping Dan on the shoulder. "Man, we've been trying to catch up with you for like ten minutes! Where are you rushing off to?"

Dan nodded at Raina as she joined them, before answering Nate. He gestured down the street, pointing in the vague direction of Lily's house. "My dad wanted me to check up on Eric after I got out of school…seeing as how Serena's dad is suddenly back in town…"

"Oh yeah, I heard about that," Nate frowned, "Does Rufus know why he came back?"

"He claims he's here to help Lily avoid jail time. Lily's mother is headed out here as well," Dan grimaced, looking at his watch. "In fact, she should be here soon."

Raina looked confused, and glanced at Nate. "Do you guys not like Serena's dad for some reason?"

"Let's just say that _my _dad looks like a saint next to Mr. van der Woodsen," Nate said significantly.

"Yeah, he makes Chuck look like Mother Theresa," Dan put in, and Raina raised her eyebrows.

"That bad, huh?" She looked thoughtful, "How about we stop by Lily's house with you?"

"Uh," Dan stalled, "why would you want to do that?"

"It _is _my dad's fault that Lily was forced to turn herself over," Raina reasoned, "I feel like I should…I don't know, apologize to the family or something."

"That's a great idea," Nate smiled before giving her a quick kiss. "I know it would mean a lot to them."

Dan wasn't so sure, but he didn't comment. "Sure," he said instead, "Come on."

As they walked down the street, chatting about Lily's trial, Nate suddenly stopped. "What?" Dan asked, frowning at him.

"I totally forgot!" Nate exclaimed, punching Dan on the shoulder lightly. "The Gossip Girl blast from this morning!"

"Oh," Dan said sourly, "_That_."

"Come on, man, _details_!" Nate grinned, "So you and Serena are—"

"No," Dan interrupted quickly, "Gossip Girl got it wrong."

"Oh really?" Nate asked skeptically, "Come on, Dan, you can't deny the evidence!"

"_Evidence_? What evidence?"

"The picture," Raina said, grinning slyly, "Of you and Serena."

"Okay, just because Serena came home with me last night, doesn't mean that anything happened. _End of story_."

"If you say so," Nate shrugged, opting to drop the subject. "Just for the record, I don't believe you."

Dan shook his head as they walked into the house, ignoring them. "Eric?" he called out, "You here?"

"Dan?" Serena walked into the hallway, looking confused. She paused, "Oh, Nate...and Raina. What are you all doing here?"

"My dad told me to check up on Eric after school and I ran into them outside," Dan said stiffly, trying to ignore the fact that Nate was watching his interaction with Serena closely. "I didn't know you would be here..."

"Yeah, Blair wanted my help for Chuck's—"

"Blair's here?" Dan interrupted, at the same time Nate and Raina asked in unison:  
"_Chuck_'s here?"

Serena opened her mouth to explain, but suddenly glanced at Raina, appearing to realize something. "Actually, you two should probably leave," she said abruptly to Nate and Raina, "Before Chuck and Blair figure out that you're here."

"But I just wanted to apologize to your family," Raina began, looking surprised when Serena forcibly tried to push them towards the door.

"Yeah, well, my mom is kind of tied up at the moment, so you'll have to come by some other time."

"Wait, is Chuck still pissed at me?" Nate asked in confusion.

"You know Chuck; he was always one to hold a grudge," Serena said in exasperation, giving them a final push out the door. She waved, "Thanks for stopping by!"

Then she shut the door in their faces.

Dan stared at her in complete disbelief. "Well, that was rude."

"I couldn't have them knowing the reason that Chuck and Blair are here," Serena said pointedly, leading Dan into the living room. They both sat down on the sofa, and Dan waited expectantly. She took a deep breath, "Actually, I don't know if I should tell you..."

"I'm sure _Humphrey _can keep a secret," a voice drawled from behind them, and Dan turned to see Chuck and Blair walking down the stairs. Blair was determinately avoiding his gaze, but Chuck sneered at him. "Can't you?"

"I guess," Dan said suspiciously, "What's going on?"

"Russell Thorpe told me last night that _my father _was responsible for Raina's mother's death," Chuck said shortly, anger glinting in his eyes. "Apparently, she burned to death in the fire at the hotel."

"My god, that's awful," Dan stood up, "Is it true?"

"That's why they're here," Serena explained, "Chuck is trying to dig up the police reports from the fire, and figure out if Bart bribed anyone to keep their mouth shut about the death, or if anyone knew anything about Mrs. Thorpe."

"My mother is hosting a dinner party tonight," Blair added, "Because she finalized a new deal at her company. Chuck and I spent all day making a list of people who might know something about the fire, and I've convinced my mother to invite them to the dinner. That way, Chuck and I can speak to them in person."

"You're all going to a party when Lily might be going to jail?" Dan repeated, "Doesn't that seem kind of...oh I don't know, _wrong _to you?"

"Put down the moral compass, Humphrey," Blair retorted, "Lily's lawyers were invited as well. It'll give Serena's dad and her grandmother an opportunity to talk to them, outside the courthouse."

Serena nodded, and then looked at the time. "Chuck, we should head over and get those files if we want enough time to look them over before dinner tonight." As the of two of them gathered all their things, Serena glanced at Dan. "Oh I forgot! You're here to see Eric, right? He's upstairs in his room, doing homework."

As Dan began climbing the stairs, he heard Chuck call to Blair, "Aren't you coming?"

"I have to go supervise the decorations at home," Blair said back, "I'll see you guys tonight."

Dan hovered in the middle of the staircase until he heard the door slam shut, and then he hurried back down. Blair was just starting to put on her coat, when she saw Dan walk back into the room. "Humphrey, what do you want?"

"Just...hear me out," he said hesitantly, "Nothing happened between me and Serena last night. The Gossip Girl blast got it wrong...there's no story happening there."

"Fine," Blair finished buttoning her coat, "Anything else?" She didn't wait for a response, and began walking towards the door. She came to a halt when Dan abruptly blocked her path, "_What _are you doing?"

"You still don't believe me," he pointed out stoically.

"Of course I believe you, I just _don't care_!" Blair snapped, "The Serena-Dan tragic love story is a little_ too_ predictable for my taste, now if you'll excuse me, I really have places to be—" She broke off when Dan suddenly reached out and touched her shoulder. "W-what are you doing?"

He took a step towards her.

"We said one kiss!" Blair said, her voice raising in pitch. She raised her other arm to push him off, but he didn't budge, and she let her hand rest against his chest subconsciously. "Didn't we?" she asked, now sounding desperate, "Dan..."

"Maybe I need one more," Dan's voice was low as he took another step, their bodies brushing together briefly. "Just to be sure.." He held her gaze, "Don't you want to be sure, Blair?"

Blair blinked, nodding slowly. "It never hurts to be sure," she agreed, her gaze flicking up to meet his. She could see the anticipation there, and wished she hadn't. "Or maybe—" But she never got to finish this thought, as he suddenly closed the distance between them, their lips meeting in a heated kiss.

.

.

Serena hurried back into the house, cursing herself for forgetting her cell phone. She spotted it on the floor by the doorway, and as she reached down to pick it up, she heard a sound coming from the living room. Curiously, she walked quietly down the hallway and peered into the entrance of the living room.

And nearly dropped her phone in shock.

Blair and Dan.

_No. Way. _


	4. Keep A Secret

**A/N: **so you'll notice this chapter uses a few quotes/scenes from the preview for the next episode. i'm sure you'll recognize them since i know i'm not the only one who's watched the preview like a million times ;)

* * *

_You have to decide what's more important to you: keeping your pride and getting nothing...  
__Or taking a risk and maybe, maybe having everything.  
**-Dan, to Blair: 2x08** _

* * *

He saw _her _as soon as he walked out of the elevator.

She was standing on the other side of the room, looking radiant in a flowing pink dress. At her side, was none other than Chuck. They looked deep in conversation about whatever scheme they were in the midst of pulling off, and Dan felt something akin to jealousy flash briefly in his veins before he began heading towards her.

He had just taken a step in her direction when suddenly Serena was blocking his path, smiling in that dazed sort of way she did when she was trying to put her own plan into motion. "Dan!" she exclaimed, "I didn't know you were coming here tonight—what are you doing here?"

"I, ah, thought I'd come by and…show my support," Dan answered haltingly, frowning at Serena's shifty attitude. He pulled on his tie uncomfortably, "If you'll excuse me—"

"Support for whom?" Serena refuted his efforts to sidestep her, and held out a hand to stop him. "For Blair's mom?"

"What? No…"

"Blair?"

"For my _dad_," Dan pointed out, annoyance creeping into his voice, "And Lily. Didn't you say her lawyers were going to be here tonight?"

Serena blinked, biting her lip. "Right," she said slowly, "You're here to support our parents."

"Yeah…" Dan squinted at her, "Is something wrong?"

"What? No, everything's fine," she smiled broadly, but her eyes were unfocused, clearly thinking of something else. "You know what, I think I need a drink. Do you want anything?"

"Sure, I'll take a—"

"Great," Serena said distractedly, and quickly veered off in the direction of the drinks table.

Dan was left staring after her in bewilderment. _What's with her_? He shook his head, and glanced over in the direction he had seen Blair last, but unfortunately she was no longer there. Cursing his bad luck, Dan began to make his way across the room to find her, when he found his way blocked again by yet another unwelcome guest.

"_Vanessa_?" Dan demanded, "What are you doing here?"

"Just—hear me out," Vanessa pleaded, "You still won't return any of my calls, and I really just want to talk to you!"

"Vanessa, this isn't the time or the place," Dan said in a low voice, quickly looking around to make sure no one else was listening. "Lily could be going to jail, and I'm only here for my family. I don't have time for more of your games...Besides which, I don't think Serena—or my dad for that matter, will be exactly thrilled to see you." He paused, staring at her to emphasize his point, "You should go."

"Not until we talk about this," Vanessa said stubbornly, crossing her arms. "Is this who we are now, Dan? You're going to take _their _side?"

"Listen, you have no one to blame for this mess besides yourself," Dan snapped. He was going to continue, but he happened to look over her shoulder and saw Blair climbing the stairs—sans Chuck.

Knowing this would probably be his only chance to get Blair on her own, he quickly brushed by Vanessa, murmuring a 'goodbye' under his breath.

.

Vanessa was left staring after Dan with a mixture of anger and betrayal. She couldn't _believe _he was treating her like this—If it wasn't for her, then the truth about Ben would have never come out! Muttering to herself about the typically ungrateful Upper East Siders, Vanessa made her way back towards the elevator.

As she hurried across the room, she bumped into someone and papers spilled across the floor. "Oh my god, I'm so sor—" she broke off when she looked up into the disdainful glare of Chuck Bass.

"Abrams, _do _watch where you're going," Chuck snapped, holding out his hand while she knelt on the floor and gathered up all the papers. She happened to glance at a few of them, noticing what looked like the floor plan for the hotel and some police reports. Before she could get a proper look, Chuck snatched the papers out of her grasp. "You know, you do have an annoying habit of sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. What are you doing here, anyway? And don't tell me _Blair _invited you..."

"I came to see Dan," Vanessa stated, "Because he's been avoiding me."

"Oh, and you thought ambushing him was the way to go?"

Vanessa considered him for a moment, "Fine, what would you suggest?"

Chuck leered at her, "Depends on what your _goal _is. Are you trying to get him back? Or just trying to play nice?"

"Look, I saw the gossip girl blast this morning, Chuck. I know he's back with Serena."

"Actually, that story may be less true than you think..." Chuck trailed off, happening to catch the eye of one of the special guests that he and Blair had invited. "If you want my advice, go after Humphrey and tell him you'll give him his space until he's ready to listen to what you have to say. That way, he won't feel trapped." With that, Chuck disappeared into the crowd.

Vanessa watched him go through narrowed eyes. Sighing, she changed course and headed up the stairs. _Hell, it wasn't like she had anything to lose._

_._

Blair quickly stuffed some papers into her desk drawer, and locked it. She straightened up to leave, when she happened to glance into her mirror.

And saw Dan standing at the doorway.

"Humphrey!" Blair whirled around, her eyes wide. "What are you doing up here?"

"Looking for you, actually," Dan said, closing the bedroom door behind him. "Blair, we need to talk."

"_We_ don't need to do anything," she corrected, inching away from Dan as she tried to get to her door. "_I _need to get back downstairs..."

Dan stepped in her way, his gaze darkening. "As much as it pains me to admit it, you can't deny that there's something going on between us—"

"There's _nothing_!" Blair hissed, shooting a paranoid glance towards the door. "Just because we kissed once...or t-twice, doesn't mean anything!"

He looked skeptical. "Are you telling me that you felt _nothing?" _

She held her head high, "That's precisely what I'm saying, Humphrey. Now get out of my way before I _make _you."

He didn't budge. "Prove it."

"Excuse me?"

He stepped closer, "You heard me. Prove that you didn't feel anything."

She clenched her fists together, "You want me to prove it? _Fine!" _

Dan stumbled, completely unprepared, as she suddenly pressed both hands against his chest and shoved him against the wall. Before he could say—or _do_— anything, Blair's lips were on his, her hands fisting into his shoulder blades to pull him closer. Momentarily stunned, he eventually wrapped his own arms around her waist in response, deepening the kiss.

.

Vanessa stood at the doorway to Blair's room, the door opened a crack. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. _This _was the reason Dan was blowing her off? She hesitated one second longer, but the sight of Dan and Blair kissing was, frankly, a little sickening. As she turned around to leave, she ran into Serena.

"Vanessa?" Serena tried to peer around her with a frown, "What's going on?"

"No, nothing," Vanessa said hurriedly, grabbing Serena's arm and pulling her down the hallway. Once they were safely in one of the other bedrooms, Vanessa closed the door firmly and faced Serena accusingly. "That gossip girl blast from this morning...it wasn't true, was it?"

"About me and Dan?" She frowned in confusion, "No. Why?"

"Because the blast was _really _about someone else, am I right?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh yeah, that's great, pretend you have no idea what I'm talking about," Vanessa snapped, "I mean Blair and Dan!"

Serena froze, "What? What about them?"

Vanessa raised her eyebrows, "They're, like...together?" When Serena didn't say anything, Vanessa's mouth dropped open. "Wait a second, you don't know what I'm talking about?"

Serena shifted awkwardly, not meeting her gaze. "I think maybe you didn't see what you _thought _you saw..."

"I know what I saw," Vanessa interrupted, "You can confront them, they'll deny it, but it's true." She crossed her arms, "Now the question is, what are _we _going to do about it?"

* * *

***i hope it didn't sound like i hate certain characters in this chapter lol i'm just trying to go along with how they usually act in the show :) thanks for reading, and be sure to let me know what you think so far!**


	5. Set Me Free

_"You're too happy. Content. I'm worried you joined cult."  
_**-Dorota, to Blair: 4x17**

* * *

"Third time's the charm?" Blair offered weakly as she stepped away from Dan, her thoughts whirling as she tried to catch her breath. "Now we know for sure."

"That's there's…nothing?" Dan finished slowly, his firm statement somehow turning into a question that he ended up directing uncertainly at Blair.

"Exactly," Blair took a deep breath, trying to put some distance between them. She hurriedly walked back to her desk, on the pretense of arranging some papers. "We wanted to be sure, a-and I think three times guarantees it beyond a shadow of a doubt."

Dan didn't say anything, and Blair made the mistake of looking up into the mirror to see his reflection behind her. "_Right?" _she asked pointedly, glaring into the mirror. "We are in agreement that Rufus and Dorota were wrong, and had no idea what they were talking about, _correct_?"

"Right," Dan drew out the word after an excruciating silence. He shoved his hands into his pockets, and met Blair's gaze in the mirror. "Now everything can go back to the way it was."

"Yes," Blair nodded encouragingly, "I can go back to—"

"Waiting for Chuck to become a better person," Dan finished, his tone hardening slightly. "And I can go back to waiting for Serena to…choose between me and Nate."

Blair smiled at him wanly, "A word of warning, Humphrey…you'll be waiting a very, very long time."

Dan tried to grin back, but it came out as more of a grimace. "Hey, I've been waiting this long, right?"

"If it makes you feel better, Nate and Raina might last for like…the next two months. So you can get Serena all to yourself until then."

Dan laughed, but then shook his head. "No, I'm not going to go after Serena just for the sake of fulfilling some high school fantasy I once had. If Serena and I are meant to be…then we'll happen one day. There's no point in forcing something to happen when it doesn't feel right."

Blair cocked her head at him, a slight frown marring her features. "Are we still talking about you and Serena?"

He looked blank, "Who else would I be talking about?" As he stared at Blair, his confusion cleared. "Oh! No, that wasn't a subtle dig at you and Chuck." He quickly got off the wall where he'd been leaning, and began walking towards the door. "I'm sure you and Chuck are part of some epic love story, and it'll be great and one day Taylor Swift will write songs about it." He didn't meet her gaze as he pulled the door open, and stood in the threshold for a minute. "If you truly care about someone, set them free."

Blair took a step towards him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"You said it yourself. Chuck and Serena need us now more than ever. You and me. Separate entities." He didn't wait for her response. "Goodbye, Waldorf."

He shut the door behind him.

Blair was left staring at the closed door, feeling an odd sense of loss mingled with…regret? She quickly shook the feeling off, trying to compose herself. Taking a deep breath, she walked out of her room and into the hallway. As she took a step towards the stairs, she heard the faint sounds of someone whispering. She immediately looked down the hallway, noticing a light coming from one of the closed doors.

As she began walking suspiciously towards the door, there was suddenly a loud clatter from downstairs, followed by screams and shouting.

Blair's eyes widened and she hurried down the stairs just in time to see Mr. van der Woodsen shove one of Lily's lawyers against the wall, his fist inches from the guy's face. "Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?" Mr. van der Woodsen bellowed, as Rufus rushed forward to pull him. "LET GO OF ME!"

"Oh my god, Dad!" Serena appeared on the stairs behind Blair, looking aghast. "What are you doing?"

Blair moved aside on the stairs to let Serena pass her. _Had she been upstairs_? No sooner had this thought run through her mind, when another person appeared at the top of the stairs. Blair's expression morphed into one of disdain as Vanessa hurried past Blair without making eye contact.

"It's fine, Serena!" Mr. van der Woodsen sneered at the lawyer, "We were just settling a little disagreement..."

"_This _is how you're helping mom?" Serena demanded angrily, "Really?"

The lawyer brushed himself off as Mr. van der Woodsen was forced to release him. He glared at Serena, "After this, there's no way in _hell _your mother is walking free!" With those final words, he stomped off towards the elevator, leaving a horrified silence in his wake.

"I hope you're satisfied," Rufus snapped, "You know, no one asked you to come back here—"

"Yeah? How do you know Lily didn't call me?"

"That's it!" Serena grabbed her father's arm, "We're leaving. _Now._" He muttered something unintelligible under his breath, but let Serena drag him to the elevator. Rufus followed behind, giving an embarrassed nod in Eleanor's direction. Chuck emerged from the midst of the crowd, looking contemplative. After a second, he followed behind Rufus as well.

Blair's gaze raked amongst the crowd, seeking out Dan. After a moment, she saw him and Vanessa standing close together, arguing quietly about something. As though he felt her gaze on him, Dan suddenly looked up in Blair's direction. Her eyes widened, and she immediately looked away.

"Ahem," Eleanor coughed, "Show's over folks, everyone can get back to...oh, forget it. Who wants a drink?"

The elevator _finally _dinged open, and the Bass/van der Woodsen/Humphrey clan shuffled their way in. Rufus paused, staring pointedly across the room. Dan shot one last glare at Vanessa before hurrying towards his dad. He glanced at Blair as he walked past the stairs, but she couldn't decipher his expression.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, the crowd immediately began gossiping excitedly about what they had just witnessed. Blair stood with her arms crossed as she surveyed the remaining guests. Her gaze landed on Vanessa, who was texting something on her phone.

Blair strode up to her purposefully. "Telling Gossip Girl what just went down?" she asked accusingly, pursing her lips. "Is that why you came all the way out here?"

"I'm not telling Gossip Girl anything," Vanessa retorted, and her eyes flashed. "And I'd be nicer to _me_, if I were you."

"Oh really?" Blair rolled her eyes, "And why would I do that?"

Vanessa leaned forward, "You don't _want _to know what I know." She pulled back with an innocent smile, "I'll be seeing you around, Blair."

Blair was left to wonder what exactly it was that Vanessa _knew_.


	6. Deal With the Devil

_"I'm going to kiss somebody someday. And when I do, it'll be for me."  
-_**Blair, to Chuck: 3x19**

* * *

It was strange to go from seeing someone everyday to not being able to see them at all.

Blair picked up her phone, her finger hovering above Dan's name, before flinging the phone onto her bed in disgust. Did she—_g__od forbid_—actually _miss _Humphrey?

"Dorota!" she barked, and the maid came fluttering in, looking nervous.

"Yes, Miss Blair?"

"Why," Blair began in a deceptively calm voice, "Have you not picked up my tickets for the art gallery opening tonight?"

Dorota blinked, "You said to cancel—"

"I said no such thing!" Blair interrupted, her voice raising in pitch until it was almost a screech. "Go get them now!"

"But..." Dorota trailed off at Blair's rather dangerous looking expression. "Of course, Miss Blair." She paused at the door, and asked suspiciously, "How many tickets would you like?"

Blair narrowed her eyes, "_What _are you implying?"

"N-nothing. I just notice that you seem to be in bad mood lately..."

"I am not!" Blair stood up defensively, "You know what? Go ahead and get two tickets!"

Dorota cleared her throat, looking shifty. "So Lonely Boy is coming after all?"

Blair sniffed, "No, whatever gave you that idea?" When Dorota didn't respond, Blair crossed her arms. "You think I can't find someone to go with at the last minute besides _Humphrey_?"

"Well..."

Blair gasped. "_Fine_! I'll prove you wrong." She grabbed her coat and marched over to the door, "Now. Let's go get these tickets!"

.

.

"So, there's this art gallery opening tonight," Dan began, "That I have two tickets for...And I was wondering if you wanted to go check it out?"

Nate began laughing, but sobered when he saw Dan's expression. "Oh! You're serious?"

"Forget it," Dan rolled his eyes, "I don't know what I was thinking."

"Sorry, man," Nate shrugged, clapping Dan on the shoulder. "But art's not really my thing. But if you really want to go, I think I know someone that might be interested..."

"Really?" Dan frowned, "Who?"

Nate shifted his shoulders, apparently trying to seem nonchalant. "How about Vanessa? Isn't she into that kind of thing?"

"No," Dan refused immediately. "I mean, well, she _is_. But there's no way in hell I'm going anywhere with her." He shot an accusatory look in Nate's direction, "Don't tell me you forgave her for everything! I mean, she almost killed Serena!"

"That was Juliet," Nate corrected, but backed off when he saw Dan's expression. "I'm not saying Vanessa is innocent...but maybe you should rebuild that bridge, you know what I mean?"

"No."

Nate heaved a sigh, "You both go to NYU. You're both from Brooklyn. It could get awkward, you know, running into her on a daily basis..."

Dan shook his head adamantly, "Forget it."

.

.

There was a persistent knocking on the door, and Chuck groaned. "Nathaniel, this is like the third time this week that you've forgotten your keys!"

The knocking continued.

Chuck swore under his breath as he stumbled out of bed. He shuffled over to the door and pulled it open, squinting at the person on the other side. "Abrams? What the hell are you doing here?"

Vanessa stared at him, scrutinizing his appearance. "You're drunk," she stated.

"Hungover," Chuck corrected, looking over Vanessa appraisingly. "Is this a booty call?"

"Please," Vanessa pushed her way past Chuck, "There's no way _that's _ever happening again."

"Come right in," Chuck said sarcastically, shutting the door behind her. "So. Tell me, what brings you all the way from Brooklyn?"

Vanessa hesitated, looking indecisive. "It's Dan," she said finally, "I need your help with something."

"_Humphrey_? What on earth would make you think that I even care—"

"I have information that could help both of us get what we want," Vanessa interrupted.

Chuck smirked, "Oh really? And what could I possibly want that I don't _already _have?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Vanessa raised an eyebrow, "Blair."

"You think I need _your _help getting Blair?" Chuck sneered, "I already have her!"

"Do you?" she returned skeptically, and he frowned.

"Well I will," Chuck amended, narrowing his eyes at Vanessa.

"Tell me," Vanessa said casually, taking a seat on his sofa. "What did she say when you tried to get her back?"

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

"Blair," Chuck slurred, his hand reaching out to grab her arm as she tried to walk away, "Will you...help me?"

"You know I will," Blair whispered, kneeling down next to the sofa where he was lying down, "Just go to sleep now, Chuck."

"My father..." he mumbled incoherently, and Blair sighed as she stood up. She gave a gasp when Chuck suddenly grabbed her arm again and sat up in the sofa, pulling her down to sit next to him. "Stay with me tonight, Blair..." Chuck shifted so they were closer together, and he leaned in to kiss her.

Blair leaned away from him, placing her hand on his cheek gently. "Chuck, you're drunk," she said quietly, "We'll talk about this in the morning." She tried to smile at him, "It's you and me...We'll find out the truth about what happened with your father and Thorpe, okay?"

Chuck shook his head, frowning. "I know what I want, Blair," he insisted, "I want you."

Blair swallowed, lowering her eyelids. "I can't."

"Because of Raina?" Chuck shook his head, desperation creeping into his tone. "She's nothing compared to you! Blair, I need _you_..." As he tried to kiss her again, Blair stopped him, her hand still resting on the side of his face.

"This is not about Raina, Chuck. It's not about any other girl..." She began hesitantly, but her voice grew stronger as she continued. "It's a-about me. _I...kissed someone. It was truly a life changing experience. That one kiss...changed me."_

**

* * *

**

**PRESENT**

Chuck finished the story and tossed back a shot before turning to look at Vanessa expectantly. "_Well_? Any insight?"

Vanessa bit her lip, "So, you want to know who Blair kissed?"

He raised an eyebrow, "You know?"

"I'll tell you," Vanessa settled herself into the sofa comfortably. "But, first you have to use your connections to get me a ticket for tonight's art gallery opening. I heard Dan and Nate talking about it, and I know Dan is going to be there."

Chuck considered her for a moment before nodding, "Deal."


	7. Whatcha Say

**A/N: **thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews! this week at school has been absolutely hectic, but I should be able to update more frequently this week :) hope you enjoy the newest chapter and hope it makes this extra-long hiatus a little more bearable!

* * *

_"Blair, we kept us a secret because we were afraid there was something more..."  
_**-Dan: 4x17 **

* * *

"_Nate_?"

"Oh hey," Nate responded unenthusiastically, trying (and failing) to look interested. "How's it going?"

Dan raised an eyebrow, "Now correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you laugh in my face when I invited you to this opening?"

Nate heaved a sigh, turning around to grab another glass of champagne from the table he was leaning against. He offered a glass to Dan, who had just taken a sip when Nate grumbled, "Blair dragged me here."

Dan choked, "Wh-what? You're here with _Blair_?"

"Raina's here with her father," Nate explained, noticing Dan's expression. "And Blair is somewhere," he gestured vaguely to the staircase, "I think she's looking at the exhibit on the second floor."

"Oh," Dan drew out a breath, "You know, I think I'll go check out the—"

"What the hell are _they _doing here?" Nate suddenly asked, staring at someone over Dan's shoulder incredulously. Dan turned around just in time to see Chuck and Vanessa walk through the door. Together.

"This can't be good."

"My thoughts exactly."

.

.

"There they are," Vanessa muttered to Chuck, glancing over to where Dan and Nate were both standing. "They've already seen us."

"Okay," Chuck stopped abruptly, "I got you in here. Now it's time to fulfill your end of the bargain. Who did Blair kiss?"

She hesitated, "I'll tell you, but I have to talk to Dan first and fix things with him. That was part of our deal."

"No, it wasn't."

"_Chuck_."

He clenched his jaw briefly in annoyance, "You drive a hard bargain, Abrams. Come on." With that, he grabbed her arm and began steering them towards Nate and Dan, who watched the pair approach suspiciously. "Nathaniel," Chuck greeted, barely sparing Dan a glance. "I didn't think this was your scene."

"I'm here with Blair," Nate said, not noticing Chuck's sudden frown. "The real question is, what are _you _doing here?"

"You came with Blair?" Chuck repeated, narrowing his eyes.

"Dan," Vanessa broke in hurriedly, "Can I talk to you?"

"Let me get this straight," Dan glared at her, "You stalked me to this art gallery opening, and now you want to _talk_?" When she didn't respond, Nate cleared his throat pointedly. Dan sighed, "Fine. Make it quick." He allowed her to lead him across the room in search of a quiet corner.

Chuck waited till they had disappeared before rounding on Nate, "First you stole Raina, and now you want to steal Blair?"

"What?" Nate stared at him in confusion, "What are you talking about?_"_

"Don't act innocent," Chuck snapped, "I know about the kiss!"

"What kiss?" Nate shook his head, "Chuck, I have no idea what you're talking about."

He fell silent momentarily, scrutinizing Nate's look of bewilderment. "You...weren't the one who kissed Blair?"

"No, why would I do that? You know I'm with Raina now..."

Chuck frowned, looking contemplative, "But then who did she kiss?"

.

.

Vanessa led him to the darkened area behind the staircase, and Dan snatched his arm out of Vanessa's grip. "Okay, we're here. Say what you want to say so that you can _leave_."

"Why are you being like this?" Vanessa crossed her arms, "We used to be _friends_, Dan. Best friends."

"That was then. This is now."

"Can't you let it go?" she pleaded, "Serena is fine, Juliet is gone, Jenny is in Hudson. It doesn't have to be like this...can't we go back to the way things used to be?"

Dan shoved his hands into his pockets, trying not to show Vanessa that her words were affecting him. "Things were simpler back then, weren't they?"

She nodded, looking hopeful. "You and me," she said quietly, reaching out to touch his arm. "Us against the world—or in this case, against the Upper East Side." She tried to grin, "Can't we go back to that?"

She stepped closer to him, and Dan frowned, "What are you doing?"

There was a muffled gasp, and hurried footsteps retreating back up the stairs. Dan broke away from Vanessa and peered up the stairs, just in time to see Blair disappear around the corner. _Great_.

"Dan, where are you going?" Vanessa exclaimed as Dan nearly began sprinting up the stairs after Blair. "We're not done!"

He paused halfway up the stairs, looking between the direction Blair had gone and back down at Vanessa. "Yes," he said firmly, "We are."

.

.

"Chuck, I didn't know you'd be here tonight," Raina said as she approached Nate, with her father on her arm. "I hope things aren't awkward between us."

"Not at all," Chuck responded, not caring if he sounded sincere or not. "How are you enjoying the opening?"

"It's quite fascinating," Russell Thorpe replied, meeting Chuck's gaze briefly. "I've always been very interested in the arts."

"Oh yeah, me too," Nate said with a straight face, and Russell nodded approvingly.

Chuck smirked. He glanced casually across the room, and did a double take when he saw Vanessa storm out the door angrily. "If you'll excuse me," Chuck said, putting down his drink. "I'll be right back."

"Where is he going?" Raina asked, frowning as Chuck hurried out the door.

Nate shrugged, "You know, I think I'm going to find Blair and tell her I'm ready to take off." He leaned forward and kissed Raina on the cheek, "I'll see you later?" She nodded with a smile, and Nate wandered up the staircase, looking for Blair.

He made his way through the scattered crowd, when he suddenly heard raised voices coming from the end of the hallway. One of the voices sounded like Blair, and Nate frowned as he walked towards the sound. Before he had located her, his cell phone rang.

**CHUCK CALLING. **

"Hey, why'd you take off?" Nate asked, hearing a car horn blare in the background, "Where are you?"

There was a pause. Then, "_I found out who Blair kissed_."

"Really? Who?" Before Chuck could respond, Nate's phone beeped with a text message. "Hold on a sec..."

_They say there are no secrets better kept,  
than the secrets everybody guesses.  
__Be careful Lonely Boy, __there's a Bass after you...  
__and we hear he **bites.**_

_XOXO, GOSSIP GIRL. _


	8. You and Me

_"Why would a friendship based on fight, suddenly end in flight? They say we only run from the things that truly scare us…"_  
**Gossip Girl: 4x17**

* * *

"I should have realized that when you said you wanted to _set me free_," Blair jabbed a finger into Dan's chest accusingly, "You _really _wanted to set YOURSELF free...for _Vanessa!_"

"That," Dan deadpanned, "Is ridiculous."

"Is it?" Blair placed her hands on her hips as she leaned towards him threateningly, "Don't play all innocent with me, Humphrey! You're no good at it."

They were standing at the end of the darkened hallway of the second floor exhibit, and Dan rubbed his neck in embarrassment when several people looked towards them as Blair's voice became increasingly shrill. "And you think _I'm _going to be _your _social death?" Dan muttered under his breath. Blair huffed in exasperation and suddenly grabbed his arm, pulling him off to the side and shoving him into a door in the corner. Dan stumbled in, trying to get his bearings in the even darker setting.

After a second, he realized where they were. "Blair, this is a janitor's closet."

"If you think I'm going to air all our business for the whole world to hear—"

"i thought there wasn't an _us," _Dan pointed out, "Isn't that what you said all three times we kissed?"

"Who's counting?" Blair snapped, "And you didn't deny it either!"

Dan pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, "I thought you didn't want me to feel anything!"

"And clearly you didn't!" Blair swung her purse over her shoulder. "I hope you and Vanessa are real happy together and have wonderful troll babies—"

"_What_?" Dan grabbed Blair's arm to stop her from leaving and grasped her shoulders roughly, ignoring the way her eyes widened with surprise. "I don't want Vanessa," Dan said darkly, "And I don't want Serena." He tightened his grip, "You know who I want, Blair."

Blair's expression was of someone fighting to keep their composure. "A _likely _story, Humphrey. Is that why you gave away _my _ticket to Vanessa?"

"Your—Blair, I didn't give your ticket to anyone!" Dan reached a hand into his coat and pulled out the paper in question before shoving it at her face. "_You're _the one that came here with Nate!"

She snatched the ticket out of his hand and examined it suspiciously. "Wait, then how did Vanessa get here?"

Dan clenched his jaw reflexively, "She's here with the great Chuck Bass."

"Chuck?" Blair shook her head, "No, that's impossible!"

"Why?" Dan shot back, "Because you asked him first, and Nate was your second choice?"

"What? No! Because Chuck and Vanessa hate each other!"

"Like us, you mean?"

That brought Blair up short, and she stared at him. "This has _scheme _written all over it," she said finally, "What do you think they're up to?"

"You know what," Dan moved away from her, "Somehow, I can't bring myself to care." He reached a hand out towards the door, "When you decide what _you _want, why don't you let me know?" His hand had just touched the doorknob when she spoke.

"You think I want to be here with Nate? He couldn't tell a Picasso from a Monet!" Dan turned around, but Blair seemed to have stepped even further back into the darkness of the closet. He couldn't even see her face. She was silent for a few moments before she eventually bit out, "_You _had my ticket, Humphrey. You should've—"

"Blair," Dan interrupted, walking forward slowly until he could see her silhouette again. "What do _you _want?"

She shifted out of the shadows, and it was the most vulnerable he had ever seen her look. She took a deep breath, "I—"

Their phones beeped simultaneously.

Dan held back a groan, fumbling to pull out his cell phone. He stared down in confusion at the Gossip Girl blast. "What does she mean that Chuck is after..._oh_." He stopped abruptly, realizing the implications of the message.

"Oh god," Blair breathed, looking horror struck. "They _know_...Chuck knows..." A look of comprehension slid over her face, "Chuck and Vanessa! They must be working together because they _both _know!"

Dan felt a familiar sinking feeling in his gut, but it took him a minute to recognize what it was. After all, he wasn't _scared _of Chuck Bass. _What could Chuck do, really? _It was this thought that brought Dan to the answer of what he was feeling: fear—_that he would lose Blair_.

This idea shocked him so greatly that he zoned out completely, trying to figure out exactly when _that _had happened. Sure, he had enjoyed spending time with her...but to actually be scared about _losing _her?

"HUMPHREY!"

He jumped, retreating hastily into the door and away from Blair. "What?"

"Are you _waiting _to be caught?" she hissed, making shooing motions with her hands. "You need to go, now!"

Dan didn't even register the worry on her face as he quickly exited the closet. Without sparing anyone a second glance, he hurried outside and into a cab to take him back to Brooklyn.

.

.

It was later that night and Dan was unsuccessfully trying to get homework done when there was a knock on the door. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the confrontation. In a single stride, he pulled open the door to reveal the visitor he had been expecting all afternoon.

"Chuck Bass in Brooklyn," Dan commented coolly, not inviting him in. "To what do I owe this _pleasure_?"

"Humphrey-Dumpty," Chuck sneered—and the disdain on his face could not have been more obvious. "Always trying oh-_so-_hard to fit into the Upper East Side..." Before Dan could respond, Chuck shoved his way into the loft. He looked around, scorn evident in his gaze. "When will you _learn_? Guys like you will _never _get girls like Serena..._or _Blair." His eyes narrowed, "So next time, why don't you stick with your own _class_?"

Dan didn't flinch, "Are you done?"

Chuck smirked, "Why? Do you have something to say to me?"

"As a matter of fact," Dan snapped, "I do."

Chuck merely raised his eyebrows, inviting him to continue.

"First off, I dated Serena for two years—which is two more than you'll everget with her." Dan stepped forward, his eyes flashing. "And don't you dare bring up _class..._forgive me if I'm wrong, but aren't you the one who tried to sleep with my 'lower-class' sister not once, but _twice_?" Chuck began to say something, but Dan cut him off. "As for _Blair_, clearly you couldn't _keep _her so I suggest you back the hell off and let her be happy for once in her life!"

Chuck's jaw tightened, "I don't know what world you think you're living in, Humphrey, but Blair will _never_ have anything to do with you. She's not like Serena, after all. No matter how hard she tries..."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on," Chuck drawled, "You think Blair would ever give up her reputation, her social standing, everything she believes in...for _you_?" He shook his head, "Serena will still be New York's It-Girl no matter who she dates, the company she keeps, the arrests on her track record, or how many scandals she gets involved in. It's not like that for Blair."

Dan drew his breath in sharply, anger straining his voice. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Chuck. I suggest you leave before one of us does something we might or might not regret."

Chuck took a step towards Dan, his expression turning vaguely threatening. "If you _ever _kiss Blair again..."

"You'll what?" Dan couldn't resist asking. There was a sudden gasp from his doorway and Dan turned to see who was standing there—just as Chuck suddenly swung his arm, punching Dan squarely in the jaw. Caught by surprise, Dan stumbled backwards into the kitchen counter and fell onto the ground.

"Chuck!" Blair cried out, "What the hell are you doing?"

Chuck was clenching his fist in his hand, and he looked angrier than Blair had ever seen him. "What am _I _doing here? What are _you _doing here?"

"I c-came to see if—"

"Forget it," Chuck hissed, "I don't want to hear it!" With a final withering glare in Dan's direction, Chuck stormed out of the loft.

Blair didn't even glance in his direction and hurried instead towards Dan. "Oh my god, are you okay?"

Dan winced as he tried moving his jaw. "I could've taken him," he grumbled, "If I hadn't been distracted..."

Blair's lips curved upwards slightly. "Let me get you some ice," she said gently, getting up to walk to his freezer. A few moments later, she came back with a frozen bag of peas. "You can't find _anything_ in Brooklyn," she rolled her eyes with good humor. Dan sighed from his position on the floor and rested his head against the back of the counter as Blair knelt down next to him and held the peas to his jaw. "Does it hurt?"

He gave her a look, "What do you think?"

"Well," Blair announced, "I have something that might make you feel better." She stood up and disappeared into his room, coming back several moments later with his laptop. She sat back down on the floor and placed it in front of them, inserting into it a DVD from her purse. "I thought you might enjoy this."

Dan raised his eyebrows, "You came all the way to Brooklyn for a movie night?"

"Shut up, Humphrey." Blair settled herself next to him, and with slight hesitation, rested her head on his shoulder. "As long as you remember we're not friends," she added, her gaze flicking up to meet his.

Dan grinned and casually slid his arm around her shoulders. "Of course not," he agreed, and then he placed a kiss on her forehead. "Can we make a deal to forget about the world for tonight? There's no Chuck, there's no Vanessa, there's no Gossip Girl..."

"It's just you and me," Blair murmured softly, a faint smile on her lips. As the movie played, Blair subconsciously reached for Dan's hand. Thus entwined, they drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

***i know I didn't make a huge cliffhanger for this chapter, but I'd still like to hear what you thought :) **


	9. Revenge

_'Friendship can be an excuse; a cover__— _ when there's something more you don't want to admit, or you're too scared to explore..."  
**Rufus, to Dan: 4x17**

* * *

When Dan woke up, his neck was cricked at a painful angle and his arm was sprawled underneath him in a way that made him fairly sure that it had gone numb from lack of blood. His back was also pressed against something rather sharp, and he muttered curses under his breath as he shifted into a sitting position.

He realized at once that he had spent the night asleep on the cold, wooden floor. He turned around to see the corner of his laptop digging into the skin on his back. As he moved it out of the way, his eye caught a bright pink post-it note stuck onto the laptop screen. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, Dan reached for the note with his working arm and read it through bleary eyes: _Time to face the real world –B_

Dan smiled slightly, shaking his head. He stood up and wandered over to his cell phone, frowning when he saw that had five missed calls. He scrolled through them, seeing one from Nate, one from Serena, and three from his dad.

Ignoring them for the time being, Dan quickly got ready for school. Twenty minutes later, he had showered and had just finished making a fresh pot of coffee. He poured himself a cup and went over to his doorstep to pick up his copy of the paper. He had just taken a sip of coffee when he happened to read the headline and nearly choked.

**LILY VAN DER WOODSEN FACING JAIL TIME.**

Great.

_._

_._

_"_Where have you been?" Rufus demanded as soon as Dan entered the van der Woodsen residence an hour later, "We've left you a ton of messages___—_ "

"Sorry," Dan said hastily, noticing that neither Chuck nor Serena were present. "What's going on? What happened?"

William van der Woodsen chose that moment to walk in, looking quite grim. "It seems that the lawyer that I got into an...altercation with at Eleanor's dinner party has decided to drop out of the case. And he also leaked the story to the press."

"Are we sure it was him that leaked the story?" Dan asked pointedly, "I mean, Russell Thorpe could gain something from this, too..."

"Chuck is checking out that possibility," Rufus rubbed a hand over his face, looking tired. "Lily is being held in custody as we speak. Serena and her grandmother are meeting with some lawyers now."

"And I am about to head down to the station," William announced, but Rufus stood up with a glare.

"_We _are going down to the station," Rufus corrected. "Do you mind staying here with Eric? I know you have class this morning, but..."

"Of course," Dan replied immediately, "Anything I can do to help." He nodded briefly to Serena's dad, and then headed upstairs in search of Eric.

.

.

Nate clambered out of the cab, pulling on the hood of his raincoat as he squinted down the street. He found Chuck standing on the corner, holding a large black umbrella. Nate shoved his hands into his pockets as he hurried over, "Man, what's with all this cloak and dagger stuff? "

Chuck looked up and down the street before answering, "The paparazzi. They'll be after anyone directly _or _indirectly connected to Lily's case."

Nate nodded, but then happened to catch sight of Chuck's bandaged wrist. "Hey, what happened to your hand?"

Chuck pursed his lips, "It's nothing."

"Is it _broken_?" Nate paused, a look of dawning comprehension sliding over his expression. "Wait a second, you didn't go down to Brooklyn yesterday, did you?"

"So what if I did?" Chuck sneered, "If Daniel _Humphrey _thinks that___—"_

"_What_? Wait___—_you and Dan got into a fight?" Nate exclaimed in disbelief, "Over _Blair_?"

"It wasn't a fight," Chuck corrected, "Though I did manage to get a solid punch in before Blair showed up."

Nate blinked, "Blair showed up in Brooklyn? So...it's true?"

"Not for long," Chuck snapped, his gaze darkening, "I'll get Blair back if it's the last thing I do."

Nate shook his head, and turned to grasp Chuck's shoulders firmly. "Look, I'm telling you this as a _friend_. You have to decide what's more important to you: getting Blair back, extracting your revenge on Dan, saving Bass Industries...or _helping Lily_."

Chuck smirked, "What makes you think I can't do it all?"

.

.

"So...what exactly are we looking for?" Dan asked, half-heartedly sifting through some papers before glancing over at Eric questioningly.

"Anything that will help my mother," Eric said, pulling open more file cabinets and haphazardly sorting through the folders. "I mean, there has to be _something!"_

Dan sighed, but didn't say anything. They were standing in what had once been Bart's office, and Eric had been going through every corner of the room all morning. So far, they hadn't found anything of value. As Dan dumped a large pile of papers onto the desk, he accidently dropped them onto a remote control. Behind them, a large TV screen suddenly turned on to the local news station.

"_The van der Woodsen family is in the courthouse as we speak!" _the reporter proclaimed excitedly, and the camera panned across the street to show the doors. Dan and Eric stopped what they were doing and stared at the TV in disbelief. "_AND HERE THEY COME!" _

As Serena, Cece, and William walked out of the courthouse, the reporters swarmed towards them as a large mob. The three van der Woodsens split apart into separate directions, perhaps in an effort to throw off the paparazzi. The main reporter and her camera crew went after Serena, screaming questions into her face. "_MISS VAN DER WOODSEN! WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN____—_ ?" 

_"Serena!" _another reporter shouted, "_How do you feel about your mother forging your name on______—_ "

"Turn it off," Eric demanded, and Dan hurried to comply.

"Wow."

Eric shook his head, "The Upper East Side will never let this go...this is a disaster."

"There's nothing we can do," Dan cajoled, "Come on, let's just keep looking..."

"You don't have to stay if you don't want to," Eric tried to grin, "I know you probably want to go find Serena or something."

Dan took a deep breath, "Actually, no. I'm good right here." He smiled at Eric, who was looking at him suspiciously.

"What happened to your whole knight-in-shining-armor complex?"

"Hey," Dan laughed, "I _so _don't_______—_ "

"When it comes to Serena?" Eric asked pointedly, raising an eyebrow. When Dan merely shrugged, Eric tilted his head. "You know, this is the first time I've ever seen you give up a chance to save Serena..."

Dan put down the book he'd been holding, and considered Eric for a moment before coming clean. "I kissed Blair Waldorf."

Eric began laughing hysterically, but stopped abruptly when he saw Dan's face. "Wait a second! The Gossip Girl blast from yesterday...it's true? Chuck was after you_______—_ because of _Blair_?"

"Yeah, he showed up at the loft," Dan replied indifferently.

Eric was silent for a few seconds before commenting, "Can't say I saw this one coming. And I'm usually good at predicting this kind of stuff." Dan grinned, but didn't say anything. "You know," Eric said suddenly, "Out of all of us, who would you call first if you needed help bringing someone down?"

"Blair," Dan replied immediately, "Why?"

Eric hurriedly logged onto Gossip Girl and typed in Blair's name. A moment later, a tracker showed up on the screen, showing Blair's exact location. "I never thought I'd say this," Eric said with a grin, "But let's go find Blair Waldorf."


	10. Old Foes and New Enemies

**SEASON 4 DAIR**

_[__Great Minds Think Alike_]

.

_[Dictator of Taste]_

_._

_[A Friend]_

_._

___[__Plausible Deniability]_

_._

___[Secret Valentine]_

_._

_[Something More]_

* * *

Dan got out of the cab and walked into the GPS location of Blair Waldorf. The handy Gossip Girl device had led them straight to an upscale coffee shop that Dan himself had never seen before. He stepped into the doorway, his gaze immediately drawn to the brunette sitting at a table by herself. She wasn't facing him, but she turned around as soon as he walked in and he had a brief moment of panic—_was she waiting for someone_?

Her eyes widened in first surprise, and then in annoyance. Her chair pushed back with a sharp scrape against the floor and she stalked towards him furiously. Before he could get a word out, she grabbed his arm and forcefully pushed him into the semi-dark corner of the coffee shop, out of sight of the entrance. "_No one _can know I'm here!" she whispered frantically, "You need to leave!"

"Leave?" Dan repeated blankly, "Blair, I— "

_"_What are you doing here anyway?" Blair cut in, "How did you find me?"

"Gossip Girl," Dan responded suspiciously, "Are you waiting for someone?"

"Of course I'm waiting for someone!" Blair snapped and Dan flinched involuntarily. She huffed out a breath in annoyance, "No, not like that—I'm here to meet someone who might know something about the fire…Someone who might know if Russell Thorpe is lying about Raina's mother being dead."

"Really? Who?

"No one you know," Blair answered, a little too quickly.

"So…Chuck is joining you?" Dan asked slowly, his brow furrowing in confusion. "I mean, I thought that after what happened last night—"

"Chuck's not coming," Blair interrupted, "I didn't want to get his hopes up. Besides, he and I aren't exactly on speaking terms right now. Not after he saw me in Brooklyn…"

Dan nodded, but didn't continue on that particular subject. "Listen, Blair, the reason I'm here is— "

"Shhh," Blair exclaimed, motioning for him to keep his voice down. She was looking at something in the glass panel window over his shoulder, and Dan frowned.

"What's going on?"

"_Vanessa _is standing across the street," Blair muttered, "This can't be a coincidence." She rounded on Dan, "I bet she followed you here!"

"Eric and I came in a cab," Dan corrected, "And if you don't hurry up, then you're gonna be paying for the meter."

"Hurry up?" Blair repeated incredulously, "What are you talking about?"

"We need your help with a scheme," Dan supplied, indicating the cab waiting by the curb. "We need to find out who leaked the story to the press about Lily. Eric and I think it's Russell Thorpe."

"I can't just drop everything I'm doing to help _you _with some scheme!"

"Oh, but you'll drop everything you're doing to help Chuck Bass?" Dan shot back instinctively, immediately regretting his reaction when he saw Blair's expression.

"I'm not just doing this for Chuck," she said through gritted teeth. "If Russell lied about his wife dying, then we can discredit him from Thorpe Enterprises and he can never touch Bass Industries again. That doesn't just help Chuck, it helps _all of you_. Whether you want to admit it or not, you're all family— "

"_Don't _say that," Dan interrupted, holding up a hand to stop her. "You know what, never mind. Eric and I will figure out something on our own."

He sidestepped her and was making his way to the door when she grabbed his arm to pull him back, rolling her eyes. "No need to make such a scene, Humphrey." Her lips curved upwards slightly, "After all, I never could resist a good scheme."

Dan returned the grin after a second, and they both continued towards the exit. As they stepped outside, Dan subconsciously swung his arm backwards. He started in surprise when he felt Blair's hand wrap around his own. When they clambered into the backseat of the cab, Eric raised an eyebrow when he saw Dan and Blair's entwined hands, but he didn't comment.

.

Vanessa watched the scene unfold in front of her from across the street. Her eyes glinted in ill-disguised anger when she saw Dan and Blair holding hands as they both got into a cab. She pulled out her cell phone and pressed the redial button. "We have a problem," she said distinctly into the phone. "I followed Blair like you told me to, and you were right...Dan showed up."

"I thought he might," Chuck answered from the other end, "What's the problem?"

"Things are worse than we thought," Vanessa shuddered, "I think they might actually like each— "

"No," Chuck interrupted forcefully, "They don't. This is just some twisted act...we _will _get them back. You have my word."

"But— " Vanessa broke off at the sound of roaring wind from the other end of the line, "Where are you, anyway?"

"The airport," Chuck responded after a minute, "I know someone that might be able to tell me the truth about the fire that night. He's the only one who even has a chance of knowing."

"Really? Who?"

"I'll be back in a couple of days," Chuck said instead, not answering her question. "In the meantime, keep me updated on their progress." With that, he hung up.

.

.

Blair, Dan, and Eric were standing outside Nate's door. So far, he was ignoring Blair's incessant knocking. "Maybe he's just not there," Dan suggested, but Blair gave him an incredulous look.

"_Of course _he's there! This is _Nate _we're talking about...he's probably just high or drunk or— "

"Or with me," Raina said with an impish grin as she opened the door, clad in one of Nate's button-down shirts. "Can we help you?"

Blair pursed her lips, "We're here to see _Nate_."

Raina looked over her shoulder, "Um, he's..."

"I'll be there in a minute," Nate's voice called out, sounding slightly annoyed.

Blair smiled at the less-than-welcome invitation and slid past Raina into the living room. She placed her handbag on the couch before sitting down comfortably. "We'll just wait for him, then."

"Okay," Raina agreed, sounding hesitant. Dan and Eric awkwardly followed Blair into the room, avoiding eye contact.

"So," Blair began brightly, "Have you heard about Lily going to jail?"

"Yeah, it's awful," Raina shook her head, "It's been all over the news!"

"Yeah..." Blair crossed her legs with a simpering smile. "I know gossip spreads like wildfire on the Upper East Side, but that was still pretty fast for all the media outlets to find out, don't you think?"

Raina shrugged, "Well, Serena's family is really well-known..."

"So is yours," Blair pointed out, her voice becoming deceptively neutral. "If a scandal like that ever hit your family— "

"_Blair_," Nate suddenly walked into the room, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you doing?"

"Just having a friendly chat with your girlfriend," she replied airily, glancing over at Raina. "Weren't we?"

"It didn't sound friendly to me," Nate commented, noticing Dan and Eric. "Hey, Dan, I've actually been meaning to talk to you— "

"He doesn't have time," Blair cut him off. "Nate, I actually have to speak to you in private." She stood up and grabbed Nate's arm, leading him down the hallway and out of hearing distance.

"Is she...always like this?" Raina questioned.

"Yes," Dan and Eric answered at the same time.

Raina shrugged and sank down onto the sofa where Blair had been sitting. "Oh!' she said suddenly, touching Blair's handbag. "I think her phone is vibrating." She rummaged through the handbag for a second before pulling out Blair's phone. She handed it to Dan, "Do you want to take that over to Blair? It might be important."

"I'm sure it can wait," Dan responded, but reached out for the phone anyway. He glanced on the caller ID and froze.

**JACK BASS CALLING.**


	11. When It's Real

**A/N: **In case you're wondering, i won't be introducing the Prince into this story because, well, I'd like to pretend he wasn't coming back to make the love triangle into a love-square. and also, a huge thank you to all my reviewers! im sorry I havent had time to send out individual thank yous but I really appreciate all of them! :)

* * *

_"I want...real love. Pure and simple love."  
-**Blair: 3x18 **_

* * *

It wasn't long before people started asking questions.

The first to ask was, of course, Eric.

It was later that day, and the three of them were back at the van der Woodsen residence. Blair and Dan were upstairs in Bart's office having a particularly vicious fight over the merits of Blair having called Jack Bass.

"What is this _obsession_," Dan shouted finally, "That you have with all the Bass men?"

Sure, Blair and Dan might have been known for the antagonistic nature—but usually their arguments could be classified under "banter".

This was different.

Emotions were running high, and tempers were flaring. More hurtful diatribes were exchanged and Dan found himself storming down the stairs and out of the house.

As he angrily paused to snatch his jacket off the sofa, Eric finally spoke.

"_You really like her, don't you?" _

Dan turned around, his expression incredulous, "What?"

"You do," Eric said slowly, studying Dan. "I've never seen you get so angry before over something so…meaningless."

"Meaningless?" Dan repeated in disbelief, "Have you forgotten the hell Jack raised the last time he was in town?"

"I haven't forgotten," Eric replied, "But that had nothing to do with you."

"But Blair—"

"You're afraid she'll get hurt," Eric paused long enough for the words to hit home. "You like her."

.

.

The second person was, believe it or not, Nate.

Dan was waiting for a cab to take him back to Brooklyn after leaving Lily's house, when suddenly Nate and Raina were calling his name. Dan turned around to see the two of them walking down the sidewalk towards him. Raina was dragging along a suitcase, while Nate was carrying a duffel bag. "Going somewhere?" Dan questioned, eyeing the luggage with a raised eyebrow.

"I need to get out for a while," Raina explained with a tired smile. "My father and I...we haven't been getting along lately. Ever since Chuck's party, when I saw my father for what he truly is...I haven't been able to find it in myself to _really _forgive him." She grinned, "So, I decided it was time to take a vacation on my dad's credit card— you don't think he'll mind, do you?"

Dan laughed, "Where are you going?"

Raina exchanged a secretive glance with Nate before she answered, "Europe. I haven't been there since I was a little girl. I thought some sightseeing would be fun."

"That sounds nice," Dan turned to look at Nate, "Are you going with her?"

"No, just going with her to the airport," Nate replied, raising a hand to hail a cab.

One pulled up immediately to the curb, and Dan helped Nate load the taxi with Raina's bags. "Well, have a safe trip," Dan shook hands with Raina briefly before she got into the cab. To his surprise, Nate whispered something to Raina before closing the cab door and pulling Dan back onto the sidewalk, away from prying ears. "What's going on?" Dan asked suspiciously, "I thought you were going to the airport?"

"I am. But I wanted to talk to you," Nate said urgently, "It's about Blair."

"Look, I had no idea Jack Bass was coming until today— "

"It's not about that," Nate dismissed, "It's about _you _and Blair."

Dan paused, "Oh?"

"Chuck told me that he paid a visit to your loft," Nate began, "Please tell me the two of you didn't actually duke it out over _Blair_?"

"If by 'duke it out,' you mean that Chuck punched me when I wasn't paying attention..."

"i just don't want you to get hurt," Nate said suddenly, clapping Dan's shoulder with unnecessary force. "I know you, and you would never pretend to like Blair for a scheme. But, Blair on the other hand—"

"You think we're...hanging out because of a scheme?" Dan asked, frowning.

"Look, I don't know," Nate said, raising both hands in a surrendering gesture. "I'm just trying to look out for you, okay? I mean, I went out with Blair for a long time and I still remember what it felt like when I found out she was into Chuck and not me. I don't want you to have to go through that."

"Okay," Dan said slowly, not really seeing the resemblance between their situations. "It's not like that, though..."

"Whatever, man," Nate began to get into the cab, "I've noticed how the two of you act different around each other...it doesn't take a genius to figure it out. Don't say I didn't warn you." With that, he shut the door and the cab pulled away.

.

.

Dan walked into his loft, just thinking that he'd had just about enough of the people in his life trying to give him relationship advice, when he saw Vanessa standing in his kitchen. She gave him a hesitant smile before holding up a case of beer, "Peace offering?"

He couldn't believe it.

"I don't want to waste your time, so let me tell you upfront that I didn't come here with Blair...so whatever spy-game you're playing with Chuck will have to wait." Dan pointed out the door, "I think you know the way out."

Vanessa didn't move, and she looked at the ground. "Dan, look. I'm not here because Chuck told me to be here. In fact, he's not even in New York. He told me he was at the airport...I don't know where he went."

Dan paused only briefly to wonder why the hell Chuck Bass would disappear in the middle of a crisis, but then he shook his head. "What do you want from me, Vanessa? You keep saying you want things to go back to the way they were, but— "

"No," Vanessa interrupted, "That's not why I'm here. I wanted to..." She sighed, looking uncomfortable. "Is it true? About you and Blair? Do you really have feelings for her?"

"I don't owe you an explanation. Not after everything you've done."

Vanessa stepped forward at that, her eyes flashing. "You may think that I'm not the same person I once was, but neither are you! The Dan that _I _know would _never _fall for a girl like Blair Waldorf. You told me once that she was the sole embodiment of everything you hated about the Upper East Side!"

"Blair...she's different, now," Dan said slowly, "Without Chuck, she's become a better person."

Vanessa stared at him for a few moments before her eyes widened, "You've _actually _fallen for her, haven't you?"

.

.

Blair stomped into her room, holding a hideous black and white dress in her arms. "What the hell is this?"

Dorota dropped the duster she'd been holding in panic, "It's the dress that you asked me to— "

"It is _not_," Blair hissed, "I would never wear something so _last season_!"

"But, it's— "

"No excuses! Get me the right dress, now!"

Dorota nervously picked the dress off the floor and began scurrying out of the room. She paused at the door to squint at Blair, "Did you and Mr. Humphrey have a fight?"

"No!" When Dorota only continued to stare at her knowingly, Blair scowled. "Okay, fine! Maybe we did...so what?" She crossed her arms angrily, "He thinks he can tell me who I can and can't _contact_? I mean, it's none of his business if I happened to call Jack Bass— I was just trying to do everyone a favor!"

"Maybe...he does not want you to get hurt by Mr. Bass. Like last time."

Blair frowned.

Dorota then turned to look at something outside the door. With a small smile, she backed out of the room. "Where do you think you're— _oh," _Blair broke off when Dan appeared in her doorway, looking at her questioningly.

"Is this a bad time?"

"No," Blair responded quickly, sitting up straight. "Wh-what are you doing here? I thought that after our argument..."

Dan blew out a breath as he sank down on the bed next to her. He leaned back against the headboard, and crossed his arms behind his head. "You know what I learned today, Blair? I learned that...I don't like it when we fight. I mean_, _when we _really _fight..."

"I didn't like it either," Blair admitted, her gaze finding his. "I'm sorry that I called Jack...I didn't think..."

"No, I'm sorry. I overreacted. I was just afraid that...you would get hurt." Dan grinned and shook his head, "Stupid, right? As if anything could hurt the untouchable Blair Waldorf— "

"No," Blair said with a small smile, "I've never had anyone who really worried about me..." She settled herself next to him on the bed and leaned against his shoulder, "I'm glad I have someone now." She smirked up at him, "Even if it is _only _you, Humphrey."

Dan grinned, "Right back at ya, Waldorf."


	12. Destiny

_We make our own fortunes, and call them fate. And what better excuse to choose a path than to insist it's our destiny?_  
**Gossip Girl: 3x12**

* * *

"How are you enjoying the party?"

Vanessa glanced up from her drink to see Chuck Bass walking towards her. He raised his eyebrows expectantly, waiting for her answer.

"It's great," she replied sarcastically. "Thank you for inviting me."

"Yeah, well," Chuck leaned against the wall next to her, lowering his voice. "The only reason you're even here—at what would otherwise be an _exclusive _gathering—is because I need you to keep an eye on Dan and Blair…which you won't be able to do by standing in this corner, so I suggest you get out there and _mingle_."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not your puppet, Chuck," Vanessa snapped, "And I'm not going to spy on my best friend anymore!"

"Best friend?" Chuck repeated incredulously, "You were singing a different tune a few days ago."

"Maybe so," Vanessa admitted, "But things are different now. Dan and I…we've reached an understanding." She shrugged, placing her drink on the table. "And now, I think I should leave."

Chuck grabbed her arm, his eyes flashing with anger. "Wait a second, don't you even want to know why I'm hosting this party?"

Vanessa pulled her arm out of his grasp, and squared her shoulders. "First of all, you don't get to touch me. And second of all, _no _I don't care. Goodbye, Chuck."

He watched in disbelief as she walked away from him, nodding to Dan on her way out. Dan waved back to her, raising his glass in her direction.

Chuck scowled.

.

About an hour later, Nate finally made an appearance. He looked slightly disheveled—but stunningly handsome, as always. "Hey man," Nate slid into a seat next to Chuck, "Great party."

"You're late," Chuck announced, his words slurring slightly. "Where have you been? With Raina?"

"No," Nate said slowly, "Didn't I tell you? Raina is in Europe for a couple of weeks. Speaking of which, I heard you took off for a few days. Anything I should know about?"

Chuck frowned, "Raina is in Europe? For what?"

Nate hesitated, "Uh, you know. Just taking a vacation."

"Please, Nathaniel. We've been friends for years," Chuck shook his head, "I know when you're lying."

"It's nothing," Nate coughed, looking shifty. His hand shot out to stop Chuck from downing his glass, "Maybe you should cool it with the alcohol."

Chuck turned around pointedly to look at Dan and Blair, who were standing close together. They looked deep in conversation, seemingly oblivious to the crowd around them. "I don't think so," Chuck narrowed his eyes, his gaze darkening before tossing back the contents of the glass in one move.

"Where are you going?" Nate protested as Chuck slid unsteadily out of his chair and began making his way towards the staircase.

"I need to get something important."

.

"Blair."

Both she and Dan turned around to see Nate sidle up to them, looking apprehensive. "Hey Nate, you finally made it," Dan greeted, but frowned when he saw Nate's expression. "Is everything alright?"

"I don't know," Nate lowered his voice, "Do you know why Chuck is hosting this party? I mean, I know he just got back from being out of town..."

"I haven't talked to Chuck," Blair answered promptly, "And if I didn't have to be here for moral support, then I wouldn't have shown up at all."

"Yeah, about that...Do you have to flaunt your relationship in front of him?"

Blair's eyes widened and she immediately stepped away from Dan. "Wh-what? We're not..."

"Not in a relationship," Dan finished, averting his gaze from Blair's. "I don't know what you've heard, or what Chuck thinks— "

"You don't have to explain anything to me," Nate interrupted, "I'm not going to judge. I just came over here because I think Chuck is really upset. He went upstairs, and he's already drunk...Blair, can you do something?"

She huffed out an aggravated breath, "Why am I always the one that has to— "

"Blair, please."

She sighed, "Fine. Lead the way, Archibald."

"Wait a second," Dan protested, "You shouldn't..."

Blair touched his arm in a placating matter, "I'll be fine."

.

Nate led the way upstairs and they both paused on the landing when they saw Chuck's room was open. "Go ahead," Nate mouthed, "I'll wait out here."

Blair nodded, and walked slowly into the room. Chuck wasn't facing her, but he saw her reflection in the mirror and whirled around. "Blair..."

And even if she wasn't with him anymore, her heart broke a little at the desperation in his voice. "Chuck, what are you doing up here?" she asked quietly, "Everyone is downstairs."

"Blair," Chuck took a step towards her, "We both agreed...when the time was right, we would come back together. We _belong _together."

"Chuck— "

"Our destinies," he began speaking quickly now, his words fumbling over one another in his drunken state, "We are forever on the same path, Blair. You and me...we can build our futures together."

She shook her head, taking a step backwards. "Chuck, I'm sorry. You and I...we're not good for each other. Our relationship..." She trailed off, trying to find the right words. "It was toxic."

Chuck's eyes flashed and he was suddenly standing in front of her. "Don't say that, Blair. We had something...passion, love. The only thing that's ever been real is me and you!"

There were tears sparkling in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. "I have to go," Blair whispered, turning on her heel and rushing out of the room.

"Blair!"

"Whoa," Nate stepped into the room, blocking the exit of the door so Chuck couldn't follow Blair. "Man, I think you need to take a deep breath and calm down. You're scaring her...you're scaring me."

"No, I need to go after her!"

"No, you don't!" Nate shoved Chuck into the room so he stumbled back several feet. "Enough is enough, Chuck."

"No one understands what we have!" Chuck shouted drunkenly, glass shattering onto the floor.

"Because it's not normal!" Nate shouted back, "Chuck, you have to see your relationship with Blair for what it truly was— "

"It was real," Chuck said stubbornly, "And there's no way I'm giving her up without a fight."

.

Dan walked around the house, the chatter of the dinner guests growing distant. He heard a footstep and turned around, "Blair?"

"Just me," Eric said, joining him. "Trying to get away from the crowd. You?"

"Looking for Blair...she disappeared a while ago to talk to Chuck, but I can't seem to find either of them."

"Oh, I think I saw Serena drag Blair somewhere," Eric pointed down the hall, "I think they went in there."

As Dan and Eric neared the door, they could hear both of the girls arguing. "You have _always _despised Dan," Serena snapped, "Tell me, Blair. Why are you _really _going after him? Is this some ill-conceived attempt to make me jealous? Did I do something to you that you're, I don't know, seeking retribution for?

"Hard as it may be to believe, not everything is about you Serena!"

"And not everything is about you, Blair! You use people for your schemes without caring about the collateral damage you leave behind." Serena's voice became pleading, "Don't do this to Dan. He's one of the good ones, Blair..."

"I _know _that," Blair returned indignantly, "You're the one who always took him for granted! Dan and I have a real connection, and it has _nothing _to do with you!"

"Oh really?" Serena said disbelievingly, "I'll believe it when I see it. "

"You are so full of it!" Blair shouted, "You never appreciate what you have, and now you only care because— "

Dan never got to hear the rest of the fight, because someone suddenly pulled him backwards and into an adjacent room. He blinked when the person turned the lights on, realizing it had been Chuck. Eric stood at the doorway, looking apprehensive.

"I bet you loved that," Chuck sneered, "Two unattainable Upper East Siders fighting over the boy from Brooklyn..."

"Chuck, you're drunk," Dan cautioned, "Let's not start something, okay?"

He tried to leave, but Chuck blocked his path. "Not so fast, Humphrey. Don't you want to know why I brought you in here?"

"What is it?" Dan asked warily.

"Do you remember when I got shot?" Chuck moved away from him, his fingers unconsciously stroking his scar. "Do you know why that happened?"

Dan frowned, unprepared for this turn in the conversation. "Wrong place, wrong time?"

"Well, sure...but I didn't _need _to get shot," Chuck looked thoughtful, "See, I was protecting something valuable that I didn't want to give up to those low-life thugs."

"Something _valuable_? Chuck, you have money to burn. I don't— " Dan broke off abruptly when Chuck reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.

He opened the box gently, handling it with great care. "Blair's engagement ring," Chuck explained, "I was going to propose to her that day...but you ruined that Humphrey, with your _impeccable _timing." When Dan only looked bewildered, Chuck elaborated. "Jenny."

"Oh."

Chuck suddenly closed the box with a snap, and slid it back into his pocket. With a determined look, he began backing out of the room. "You may have stopped me before, but you won't get in the way again."

Dan and Eric exchanged glances. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm going to propose to Blair tonight," Chuck paused, "And she's going to say yes."


	13. Finale

**A/N: **with this chapter, you'll see why I included a classic Gossip Girl quote at the beginning of every chapter :)

* * *

___Dreams.  
Everybody has them.  
Some good. Some bad.  
Some you wish you could forget.  
____Sometimes you realize you've outgrown them._**___  
Sometimes you feel like they're finally coming true._  
**GOSSIP GIRL: 2X06

* * *

Dan and Eric were left staring at each other in silence long after Chuck had left the room.

Eric was the first one to snap out of it. "You have to do something!"

Dan only met his gaze blankly, looking oddly lost. "What would you have me do? Chuck has an engagement ring, Eric! I can't compete with that!"

"It's not a competition," Eric said earnestly, "It's about what Blair wants…you have to tell her how you feel—"

"She already knows," Dan mumbled, "She knows how I feel about her."

"But have you told her?" Eric pressed, "_Really _told her?"

Dan shrugged, making a noncommittal noise. "We're not together; not really."

Eric walked forward and gave Dan a slight push out the door. "I'm telling you this as your friend, and as your step-brother: if you really like her—which I know you do—then you have to fight for her."

Dan took a deep breath, "Okay. You're right." He looked down the hall, but it seemed that both Blair and Serena had disappeared. "Think they're downstairs?"

He had no sooner spoke the words when a sudden hush fell across the chattering crowd, followed by several gasps and whispering.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Chuck announced, "I'd like to introduce you to the guest of honor tonight…"

Dan and Eric hurried down the stairs just in time to see the_ guest of honor_ step out of the elevator, looking particularly smug.

Jack Bass.

.

"Chuck," Blair hissed, hurriedly stalking across the room, "What the hell is _he _doing here?"

Before Chuck could answer, Jack appeared by their side with a smirk. "What's with the act, Blair? First you call me, then you don't show up…"

Blair winced and shot an apprehensive look in Chuck's direction. However, he didn't seem to be surprised. "Don't worry, Blair. I know you called Jack."

"Y-you do? And…you're okay with that?"

"I know you did it for me," Chuck reached out for her hand and brushed his lips across her fingers. "Because contrary to what you say, you do still love me…"

Blair pulled her hand away from him, looking confused. "Wait, so you went out of town to find Jack?"

"No," Chuck shook his head, "I knew Jack was coming to New York to meet you. I had already been in contact with him for several weeks. I went to Europe to follow up on a lead."

"Europe?" Blair repeated, "What's going on? Why have you been talking to Jack?"

"Chuck knew that I would be the only one who could help him find out the truth about the hotel fire," Jack supplied. "Lucky for him, I was privy to one of Bart's most well-kept secrets."

Blair looked between Chuck and Jack expectantly, "Well? _Spill!_"

"Mrs. Thorpe," Jack began, "Had an affair with Bart many years ago. She became pregnant with his child."

"Russell found out about it," Chuck picked up the narrative, "And he was, understandably, furious. He threatened to tell everybody about what she had done—it would have ruined her."

"Bart, in one of his rare gestures of sentimentality, decided to help her escape from Russell," Jack sipped at his drink thoughtfully. "As you may have guessed, Bart helped her set up a new life in Europe. He gave her a new identity, and hid her from the rest of the world."

"That's when Russell and my father had a falling out," Chuck continued, a faraway look in his eyes. "Russell swore that he would never forgive my father for what he had done. His wife was, essentially, dead to him. He told Raina that her mother had simply left, because he couldn't handle the truth of what had happened."

"He made up the story about his wife dying in the fire?" Blair frowned, "Why would he do that?"

"He knew how to hurt Chuck," Jack responded, glancing at his nephew. "The sins of the father…forever passed down to the son. He wanted the Bass family to pay for what Bart had done all those years ago. He wanted revenge."

"You went to Europe to find Raina's mother?" Blair asked, turning to look at Chuck.

"I went to speak to a P.I. that was a close friend of my father's," Chuck explained. "We knew she was _somewhere _but we couldn't pinpoint her exact location."

"I think I might be able to fill in the blanks on that end," a voice said behind them. The three of them turned around to see Nate standing there, his eyes narrowed. "I heard Raina's name and couldn't help overhearing."

"You said Raina was in Europe," Chuck reminded his friend, curiosity evident in his tone. "I'm guessing that's not a coincidence."

"Raina was looking through her father's files the other day and found a bunch of papers tracking someone in London. She connected the dots and figured out it was her mother," Nate admitted. "I wanted to tell you sooner, but she swore me to secrecy."

Chuck looked ecstatic, "Did she find her?"

Nate pulled out his cell phone, showing them a picture message sent from Raina. She was standing next to an older woman that looked uncannily like her.

Jack raised his eyebrows, "Looks like we found Mrs. Thorpe."

.

The next hour of the party was a flurry of activity as Jack leaked the story to the press, and Chuck spoke with the board of trustees for Bass Industries. William and Rufus had already taken the new developments to Lily's lawyers, and Nate was speaking to Raina and her mother.

To sum it up, Dan found it hard to get a minute alone with Blair.

She was busy orchestrating the whole showdown, as only a Waldorf could. Dan hung back and watched her with a faint sense of pride at how hard she worked to help her friends. Out of the corner of his eye, Dan became aware of Serena walking towards him. She had almost reached him when suddenly Chuck appeared in her path, a genuine smile on his face. "I just spoke with Lily's lawyers. This _will _help her case...she'll get a fair trial now that Russell Thorpe has been discredited."

"Thank you, Chuck," Serena said gratefully. "I know we might not see eye to eye on a lot of things, but you've gone out of your way to help my- I mean, _our_ family." She smiled back at him, "I won't forget."

Chuck nodded back to her, and disappeared into the crowd. At that moment, Dan caught sight of Blair. Before he could go towards her, Serena walked up to him, looking serious. "Dan, we need to talk."

"Maybe later— "

"No," Serena caught his arm, "Dan. It's important."

He sighed when he looked back and couldn't find Blair. He turned back to Serena, "What is it?"

"I know I might not always show it, but I care about you," Serena squeezed his hand gently. "And I do want you to be happy." She hesitated, "And if Blair is the person that makes you happy, then...I'll be happy for the both of you."

Dan raised an eyebrow, surprised. "That's really...well, thank you Serena. That means a lot to me."

She smiled back at him excitedly, "So? Are you two really together? When did this all happen?"

He grinned, "I honestly have no idea. But there might not be an _us _if I don't find her before Chuck does..."

Serena frowned, "What do you mean?"

"He's planning on proposing to her," Dan explained in an undertone, "Tonight."

Her eyes widened and she gave him a shove, "What are you waiting for? Go find her!"

.

Dan had looked everywhere before finally climbing up the stairs. He walked down the hallway, noticing a flickering light coming from the room at the end. The door was slightly ajar and Dan paused outside to look through the crack.

He froze in horror.

Chuck was down on one knee. Blair was standing there, one hand covering her mouth.

The other hand was _holding the ring_.

Dan felt his heart stutter before twinging painfully. He turned on his heel and strode away.

Eric was standing on the landing of the staircase, looking confused. "Dan? What's wrong? Did you find Blair...?"

"Yeah, I found her," Dan said shortly, "She was with Chuck."

"What?" Eric tried to stop him, "Wait— "

"Let the record show, I put up a valiant fight," Dan pulled away and hurried down the stairs to the elevator.

He didn't look back once.

.

.

"Where are all the cabs?" Dan grumbled under his breath, waiting impatiently at the curb. It wasn't even _that _late out...

"Dan Humphrey," a familiar voice called out, "Just who I hate to admit I was looking for." The words triggered a sense of nostalgic deja vu and Dan turned around in spite of himself. Blair was standing about 50 feet away from him, having just exited the doors to the Palace.

"What are you doing out here, Blair?" Dan blew out a breath into the cold night air. "Come to tell me about your engagement to Chuck?"

Blair didn't come any closer, but she raised her voice so Dan could hear her. "A friend of mine once told me to decide what was more important to me: keeping my pride and getting nothing...or taking a risk and maybe having everything."

Dan recognized the words, but he didn't respond.

Blair took a few steps towards him, until she was standing under a streetlight that illuminated the expression on her face. "You told me once that I deserved to be with someone who made me happy," Blair said to him, "Do you still believe that?"

"I do," Dan's voice carried down the suddenly silent street, and he could hear her heels clicking against the hard pavement as she took several more steps.

Now she was less than 20 feet away.

"You know, I think I've officially gone crazy," Blair announced, "Because I'm starting to think it was right there all along...All the signs were staring me in the face."

Dan felt a twinge in his heart again, but this time it was for a different reason. He began walking towards her slowly, dredging up a long-forgotten memory. "Say life is giving you signs, and you're ignoring them because you're afraid of the thing they're signaling you to do. But then you think, what if these signs are here for a reason and ignoring them just makes me a coward?"

Blair's lips twitched, hiding a smile. "I may be a lot of things, Humphrey, but _no one_ calls Blair Waldorf a coward."

"No one," Dan agreed, stopping 10 feet away from her. Blair took a couple more steps forward, her gaze meeting his intensely.

"I told Chuck a long time ago that I would kiss somebody one day," she whispered into the darkness, "And when I did...it would be for me." And then she had closed the remaining gap between them, her arms reaching around his neck to pull him in. Dan's arms encircled her waist in response, pulling her impossibly closer as their lips met in their first real kiss.

Several long moments later, Dan pulled back slightly. They were both breathing hard, their hearts racing in sync. "The ring?" Dan managed to ask, his gaze searching hers questioningly.

Blair shook her head, "I told Chuck I couldn't accept the ring...because I had _somehow _fallen for someone else." She glanced up at Dan, a smile playing at her lips. "Chuck and I may be a match made in hell, but I told him I didn't want that."

"Really?" Dan brushed a strand of hair out of her face before stroking her shoulder absentmindedly, "And what do you want, Blair?"

"Real love," she responded quietly, "Pure and simple love." Blair tightened her grip on Dan, "Because I do deserve to be with someone who makes me happy. And so do you."

Dan leaned forward, his lips brushing against hers lightly. "For some unknown reason," he said teasingly, "You make me happy, Waldorf."

Blair heaved a dramatic sigh, "I don't think anyone will ever understand us, Humphrey." As she reached up to kiss him again, she murmured, "But I'm okay with that. Because _you_ are the one who makes me happy."

* * *

_And sometimes,  
it is the person you least expect-  
__who delivers the fairytale ending you've always desired. _

**You know you love me**  
**XOXO _Gossip Girl_**

* * *

***well i hope i delivered an epic ending! thank you so much to everyone that ever read & reviewed this fic! I had an awesome time writing Dan/Blair and let's hope the writers of GG don't ruin it for us! but even if they do, never forget: DARE TO DAIR :)**


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